Temperature activated optical films

ABSTRACT

The present invention discloses a multilayer dielectric optical structure wherein one of the optical materials in the multilayer structure shows an optically isotropic state above and a birefringent state below a characteristic temperature Tc near the room temperature. The optical structure reflects a predetermined wavelength range of electromagnetic radiation above the Tc but allow the same to transmit through below the Tc. The predetermined wavelength can be the near infrared radiation from 700 nm to 2500 nm, and the optical structure rejects solar heat in warm summer days but admits the same to interior on a colder winter day.

CROSS-REFERENCE

This application is a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 12/152,969, filed May 19, 2008, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/930,894, filed May 18, 2007, the contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a multilayer dielectric optical structure that selectively reflects a predetermined wavelength of electromagnetic radiation. More particularly, this invention relates to the optical structure whose change of optical property is activated by temperature.

Glass windows are widely used in residential and commercial buildings for the purpose of natural light collection as well as for aesthetic reasons. However, glass windows, as they are generally a thin and transparent barrier separating the interior for example an office space to the outside environment, can readily exchange heat with the outside environment via two paths: direct heat exchange due to thermal motions of air, and passage of electromagnetic radiation. The reduction of direct heat exchange due to thermal motion between an interior and external environment are generally always preferred. For electromagnetic radiation, there are two major contributions as far as heat exchange is concerned: the long wavelength radiation due to blackbody radiation of objects near room temperature, and the solar electromagnetic radiation. Similar to heat exchange due to thermal motion, the transfer of blackbody radiation due to objects near room temperature are generally not preferred as they present a heat loss due to interior in colder days (to colder environment) and heating of interior on hotter days from hotter external environment. However, heating due to solar radiation is a different matter. Although visible light in general are preferred to transmit through the windows to interior, the near infrared spectrum of solar radiation or the heat component of the solar spectrum are desirable only in colder days, and on a hot summer day, rejection of the solar heat is very much desirable.

To reduce the heat exchange due to thermal motion, double pane glass windows with an air gap or inert gas filled gaps or triple pane glass windows are often used. However, these windows do not reduce or increase solar heat gain, as they absorb or reflect only a very small and fixed amount of electromagnetic radiation in the visible and infrared range that are essentially purely due to Fresnel reflections.

Current techniques employed in reducing the passage of electromagnetic radiation via glass windows include the technique of coating a very thin layer or layers of material, for example, silver and silver nitride layers, that behaves nearly as a metal mirror for wavelengths of about 10 μm? electromagnetic radiation. Such coated windows are commonly known as low e or low emissivity windows, and reflect the long wavelength electromagnetic radiations back to the environment or interior of a building. Such coatings increase the heat insulation properties of windows at all temperatures.

Selective reflection and absorption of near infrared radiation is a mature technology with great commercial success. An example is Solarban 70XL coatings produced by PPG Industries, Inc. Such coatings block most of near infrared and partially visible light constantly, both in colder and warmer days.

However, it is desirable to have a window or a film that have high transmission of visible light; high transmission of infrared radiation when temperature is low; transition to high reflection of infrared radiation when temperature reaches certain level; the transition temperature is at room temperature range; the switching is automatic depending on the temperature; the window or film can be inexpensively mass produced and non-toxic.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION—PRIOR ARTS

U.S. Pat. No. 3,279,327 to Ploke disclosed a multilayer optical filter for selectively reflecting infrared radiation while allowing visible light to transmit by means of interference.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,066 to Rancourt et al, disclosed a multilayer stack which is reflecting in the infrared and transmitting at shorter wavelengths. The stack is formed of a plurality of layers of high and low index materials with alternate layers being formed of materials having a high index of refraction and the other layers being formed of materials having a low index of refraction.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,711,176 to Alfrey et al, disclosed a multilayer films of polymer materials with sufficient mismatch in refractive indices, these multilayer films cause constructive interferences of light. This results in the film transmitting certain wavelengths of light through the film while reflecting other wavelengths.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,790,250 to Mitchell disclosed a system, where the conductivity of a light absorbing semiconductor varies with the temperature, and inversely, the light absorption or attenuation level is controlled by the temperature. The disclosed system show a light absorption of about 80% at 80° C. and the absorption is reduced to about 15% at room temperature. This system is not useful for present application because its temperature dependence changes slowly over a wide range of temperature.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,942 to Chahroudi disclosed a solar control system where various structure consisting of porous layers absorb the solvents or repel the solvents depending on the temperature and the structures change their optical properties from transparent to solar radiation at low temperatures to a metallic surface or a dielectric mirror to reflect solar radiation of predetermined wavelengths. A significant difficulty in implementing such a device, aside from any performance issues, is that there must be a significant reservoir to hold such solvents.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,690 to Greenberg disclosed a method for making thin films of vanadium oxide possessing such a transition with depressed transition temperature of 25° C. to 55° C., approaching but not quite the transition temperature needed in order that the material to be useful. In addition, vanadium oxides in temperatures below or above the transition temperature absorb a significant portion of visible light, which makes the technology less attractive for window applications.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,049,419 to Wheatley disclosed a dielectric multilayer structure consisting of birefringent polymer layers that will reflect at least one polarization of predetermined wavelengths. However, the optical properties including its reflectance will not change with the temperature, and the resulting optical structure will reject solar energy on a warmer summer day, which is desirable, as well as on a cold winter day if so designed, which is not desirable.

US invention disclosure No. H001182 by Spry disclosed an optical filter structure using a material that has a ferroelectric phase to a non ferroelectric phase transition upon changing in temperature and another optically clear material that does not have the phase transition. The resulting optical filter structure can selectively block radiation of a predetermined wavelength, as the refractive index of the phase changing layer changes as temperature change. However, the transition temperature of ferroelectric materials occur at about 120° C., the induced index of refraction change is about 0.03, and as both layers are optically isotropic in the reflection mode at high temperature, the device will only reflect a nearly normal incident single wavelength light at very high temperatures, and it will require a large number of layers, greater than 5000 to achieve significant reflection across a broadband of near infrared radiations, therefore that will not be applicable for adjusting solar energy control at room temperature range.

Accordingly, the unfulfilled needs still exists in this art for a window or an optical film that have high transmission of visible light; high transmission of infrared radiation when temperature is low; transition to high reflection of infrared radiation when temperature reaches certain level; the transition temperature is at room temperature range; the switching is automatic depending on the temperature; the window or film can be inexpensively mass produced; the material used for such windows or films is non-toxic.

OBJECTIVES AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention meets the needs by providing a multilayer dielectric optical structure that is made of polymer and liquid crystal materials. The optical structure is substantially transparent of visible and infrared light when temperature is below a transition temperature in the range between 15-35 degree Celsius, while have high reflectance of infrared light when temperature is above the transition temperature. The number of layers required to reflect a wide band of infrared light is between 100 to 1000 layers. A film or a window in accordance with the present invention is particularly useful for passive solar energy control since it has high visible light transmittance, significantly lower infrared transmittance above transition temperature, has a sufficiently low transition temperature range to be useful in a wide variety of climatic conditions, and the only activation required is the change in ambient temperature that the films or the windows can directly sense.

The following embodiments and objectives of therefore are described and illustrated in conjunction with systems, tools, and methods which are meant to be exemplary and illustrative, and not limiting in scope. In various embodiments, one or more of the above-described market desires have been met by the present invention, while other embodiments are directed to other improvements.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an optical structure that transmit visible lights and infrared radiation at a temperature below a characteristic transition temperature, reflect the infrared radiation when temperature is above the transition temperature, which the transition temperature is in the room temperature range.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a flexible optical film structure where the film transmits the visible light at all temperatures but reflects the near infrared or heat generating spectrum of solar electromagnetic radiation above a desired temperature setting but allows the transmission of such solar heat at lower temperatures.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a temperature dependent reflective polarizer film where above a predetermined temperature setting the film reflects one polarization of electromagnetic radiation of certain wavelength range in the visible and near infrared spectrum while transmitting the electromagnetic radiation with polarization substantially perpendicular to the reflected polarization in the spectral range, and transmitting electromagnetic radiation of all polarizations outside the spectral range. Below the predetermined temperature setting, the film is substantially transparent to the electromagnetic radiation of all wavelengths and polarization states in the visible and near infrared range.

Another principle objective of the present invention is to provide such an optical film that is plastic film based and that it is readily mass producible and can be readily retrofit into existing windows as well.

A further objective of the present invention is to provide an optical system that reflects a broadband of infrared radiation when temperature is above the transition temperature while it is transparent to visible light, transparent to both visible and infrared radiation when below the transition temperature.

Other objectives and advantages will be apparent from the following description of the invention.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

All publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent, or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. A better understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description that sets forth illustrative embodiments, in which the principles of the invention are utilized, and the accompanying drawings of which:

Exemplary embodiments are illustrated in referenced figures of the drawings. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein be considered illustrative rather than limiting.

FIG. 1 is a schematic, illustrative view of a sectional a multilayered structure of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic, illustrative view of a stretched polymer and liquid crystal align along stretch direction.

FIG. 3 is schematic, illustrative view of certain polarization is reflected when above transition temperature.

FIG. 4 is schematic, illustrative view of two identical reflecting film stacked together with perpendicular optical axes, forming a pair complete reflect certain wavelength at above transition temperature.

FIG. 5 is a schematic, illustrative view of a polymer mesh network for containing liquid crystal and mechanical structure stable.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As used herein, “a” or “an” means one or more.

As used herein, “Polarization” means the orientation of the electric field oscillations in the plane perpendicular to the electromagnetic wave's direction of travel.

As used herein, “μm” means micro meter, 1/1000000 of a meter in length.

As used herein, “nm” means nano meter, 1/1000000000 of a meter in length.

As used herein, “birefringent” and “birefringence” means an optical material that shows different effective index of refraction along different directions.

As used herein, “Optical axis” and “optical axes” means the principal direction or directions of the index ellipsoid of a birefringent material. For biaxial birefringent materials, there are three mutually perpendicular optical axis. For uniaxial materials, typically only one axis, the direction along the extraordinary index of refraction is used.

As used herein, “refractive index along an optical axis” means a numerical number that measures how much the speed of light is reduced inside the medium when the electromagnetic radiation is polarized along the optical axis. For birefringent optical materials, there are three refractive indices along the three principal optical axes respectively. If all three refractive indices are same, is the material is isotropic. If two refractive indices are same, the material is uniaxial.

As used herein, “optical thickness” means the layers physical thickness times its refractive index. For birefringent material, optical thickness is direction dependent because of direction dependency of refractive indices.

As used herein, “transition temperature” or “Tc” means a temperature at which liquid crystal material undergoes a phase transition, from the isotropic state when above Tc, to an ordered or liquid crystalline state when below Tc.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a multi-layer dielectric optical structure, more specifically a polymer/liquid crystal smart optical plastic film that has a transition temperature Tc. Above Tc it reflects a specific spectral range of electromagnetic radiation in the near infrared spectrum but transmits the electromagnetic radiation outside this specific spectral range. Below Tc, the optical structure is substantially transparent to visible and infrared radiation. Specifically, in one preferred embodiment disclosed herein, the optical structure is designed to have optical plastic films reflecting near infrared radiation of wavelengths from 700 nm to 2500 nm at temperatures of 20° C. and above while transmitting such radiation at temperatures below the temperature of choice, but are substantially transparent to visible light of wavelengths from 400 nm to 700 nm at all time. This structure can be used for an optically clear film that utilizes solar heat when needed on a colder day or in a cold environment but rejects infrared radiation on hotter days. Such an optical film will find wide range of applications in architectural, vehicular, and other industries.

As shown in FIG. 1 a basic structure of a structured film that reflects a spectral range of electromagnetic radiation, for example at around wavelength of 1.0 μm, while transmitting other wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation. The film stack is composed of alternating layers of two optical materials, first optical layer 101 and second optical layer 102 on a plastic or solid substrate 100. At least one of the layers, 101 or 102, or both, is birefringent. In one preferred embodiments, alternating layers 101 are comprised of uniaxial birefringent optical plastic films with optical axis along the layer normal of the films, and the alternating layers 102 are comprised of discotic liquid crystals with director along the layer normal when the material is in discotic phase. The discotic liquid crystal have an isotropic to discotic phase transition temperature Tc at around room temperature. The films 102 comprising discotic liquid crystals maybe polymerized for mechanical stability. When below the Tc, the layers 102 are in discotic liquid crystal phases, and the indices of refraction of the layers 101 and 102 are substantially matched in all three principal directions, and the layer is transparent to electromagnetic radiation 1000 of all wavelengths and all polarizations of interest. Above the Tc, the films 102 are in isotropic phase with a homogeneous index of refraction that is preferably designed to substantially match that of layers 101 along the optical axis. The refractive indices of the layers in the layer plane directions are mismatched. The effective optical thicknesses of both layers are designed to be quarter wavelength thick of the electromagnetic radiation 1000 of wavelengths around λ₀, and reflections from interfaces are constructive. The reflection of the stack therefore peaks around the wavelength λ₀ with the reflectance and the bandwidth dependent on the ratio of the index of refraction and the number of layers, the ratio of the index of two materials is defined as higher refractive index n_(H) divided by the lower one n_(L), there is no reflection if the index ratio is 1, for birefringent optical materials, the ratio is also direction dependent. A larger index ratio requires less number of layers to achieve high reflectance and reflects a broader band of light, and a crude estimate show that to achieve close to 100% reflection at the peak wavelength, the number of required layers has to be greater than 1/(n_(H)−n_(L)), where n_(H) and n_(L) the indices of refraction of the high and low index optical films, respectively. Outside the peak wavelength band, the reflectance reduces, depending on the number of layers, and in oscillatory fashion.

One preferred embodiment as show in FIG. 1, the substrate is a clear polyester film available from a number of companies, including DuPont Teijin Films. The film thickness is in the range of 50 μm to 500 μm, preferably from 125 μm to 200 μm. The substrate can also be other clear plastic films, such as polyethylene films from same suppliers as polyester films, and with similar thickness.

On top of the substrate, we have liquid crystal layer 102. A mixture of liquid crystal and monomer additives are deposited onto the substrate. One example of the liquid crystal used for illustrative purposes is 6CB (4-cyano-4-hexylbiphenyl) available from Merck KGaA and with monomer additives bisacryloyl biphenyl and a small amount of benzoin-methyl-ether as initiators, the concentration of monomer additives is up to 20% wt, preferably 0.3-5% wt. After depositing layer to thickness of 271 nm, monomers were polymerized by exposed to a UV light, commonly known as photopolymerization method, forming a polymer mesh in the layer for the purpose of dividing liquid crystal material into small sections with less mobility and add to mechanical stability of the layer to maintain uniform thickness of the layer.

A polymer layer 101 is deployed on top of liquid crystal layer for sealing the layer and as the next, alternating polymer layer. The material for layer 101 is semi-crystalline polymer, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN). Biaxially stretched thin PET films as thin as 0.5 μm are readily available from suppliers such Goodfellow Corporation, Toray Industry, Inc. These films can be further stretched at temperatures of about 140° C. to at least get films as thin as about 0.25 μm. For a uniaxially stretched PET film, the indices of refraction depend on the stretching ratio. If the stretching ratio is 5 times, that is, the film length is 5 times that of the pre-stretching length, the three refractive indices are 1.70, 1.55, 1.50 along the stretching, in the film plane but perpendicular to the stretching direction, and along the film normal direction respectively. The optical thickness along the stretching direction of such a 0.25 μm thick layer is 0.425 μm and will reflect infrared radiations peaked at 1.7 μm in wavelength when paired with another optical material whose optical thickness is ¼ wavelength at the same wavelength. Uniaxially and uniformly stretched PET films as thin as about 0.05 μm in thickness can be prepared which give optical thicknesses along the stretching or ordering direction of 0.085 μm. Such uniformly stretched films, when stacked with alternating liquid crystal layers in isotropic phase with lower refractive index, will allow for constructive reflections of radiations with center wavelength peaked as short as at 340 nm, therefore our preferred interest range 700 nm to 2500 nm is easily achievable.

In another preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 2, the multilayer stack is comprised of birefringent polymer layers 201, 203, 205, . . . , n, n+2 such as a stretched polyethylene terephthalate and liquid crystal layers 202, 204, . . . n+1, n+3 such as liquid crystal 6CB on a base substrate 200. The liquid crystal molecules are rod-shaped. In the nematic liquid crystal or higher ordered liquid crystal or crystal phases, the material is uni-axial or biaxial in optical properties, and is isotropic when in isotropic phase. When stretched along the y axis as shown in FIG. 2, the polymer layer is generally uniaxial optically with its optical axis along the stretching direction of y axis and with ordinary index of refraction n_(o) along the x and z direction and extraordinary index of refraction n_(e) along the stretching y direction. Furthermore, the stretched polymers act as alignment layers for liquid crystals that enable the polymer films to align liquid crystal directors along the stretching direction.

According to the present invention, at low temperatures where the liquid crystal layers are in nematic liquid crystal or higher ordered phases, the indices of refraction and the thicknesses of the polymer layers and the liquid crystal layers do not satisfy the Bragg interference conditions, preferably, the indices of refraction of the polymer and liquid crystal materials are substantially matched in at least x and y directions. The film stack is therefore transparent to incident light 1000 in all wavelengths and all polarizations in the visible and near infrared spectrum that is of interest in this invention. 6CB, the nematic to isotropic phase transition temperature is 29° C. At about 13° C. n_(x)=n_(z)=n_(o)=1.53, and n_(y)=n_(e)=1.71, substantially matching the indices of the polymer layer.

At temperatures above the liquid crystal to isotropic phase transition temperature, the liquid crystal layers 302, 304, . . . , 3+1, n+3 becomes isotropic and the indices of refraction of liquid crystal becomes isotropic with n_(x)=n_(y)=n_(z)=n_(lc), which in general is close to be the same as the ordinary index of the liquid crystals in their liquid crystal phases, as shown in FIG. 3. The liquid crystal layers thus are substantially index matched with the polymer layers 301, 303, . . . , n, n+2 in the x and z direction but are mismatched in the y or, in the case of stretched polymer films, the polymer stretching direction. For s-polarized incoming light 1002 (polarization along x-axis), the indices for the polymer layers and liquid crystal layers are substantially matched and thus the film stack is transparent to the incoming light. For p-polarized incoming light, the effective indices of polarization in the polymer layers and in the isotropic liquid crystal layers are different.

In one example, an alternating PET film and liquid crystal 6CB has shown the following parameters and properties:

PET film thickness: 0.25 μm, uni-directionally stretched.

6CB layer thickness: 0.271 μm

Number of layer pairs N=22

Transition temperature: 29° C.

Transmisivity of near infrared spectrum: (1700 nm) at T>29° C., 6.5%

Transmisivity of the near infrared radiation at T<20° C. and radiation at other wavelengths for all temperatures: 90%

According to the embodiments disclosed herein, at temperatures above the liquid crystal to isotropic phase transition temperature, the thicknesses of the layers 301, 302, 303 . . . are designed such that a specific wavelength range of p-polarized electromagnetic radiation 1001 is reflected by the layer. In one specific embodiment, the film stack shown in FIG. 3 is designed to only substantially reflect p-polarized near infrared electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths from 700 nm to 2500 nm when the liquid crystal films 302, 304 , . . . are in isotropic phase but to transmit the visible light 1003 and s-polarized near infrared electromagnetic radiation 1002. In another preferred embodiment, the film is designed to only substantially reflect a narrower spectrum range, for example, from 1000 nm to 1500 nm of p-polarized electromagnetic radiation when the liquid crystal layers are at higher temperature and in isotropic phase.

In the preferred embodiment, broadband spectrum reflection at high temperature by the films disclosed in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are achieved by varying the thickness of the films such that the center wavelength of constructive reflection gradually varies across the film. Thus the thickness of layer 301 is different from the thickness of layer 303 and further the thickness of both layers may be different from that of the layer n in the film stack. In another preferred embodiment, films reflecting specific but different ranges of electromagnetic radiation are stacked together to broaden the overall reflecting spectral range of the film stack.

In one preferred embodiment, a multilayer optical film is formed by a stack of dielectric layer pairs with slightly variant optical thickness. A dielectric pair is formed by one polymer layer and a matching liquid crystal layer. The formed multilayer polymer and liquid crystal structure is then subject to a unidirectional mechanical stretching. Above Tc, the stretched multilayer structure satisfies the condition that both layers in the pair have same optical thickness that equals to ¼ of a representative nominal wavelength. The relationship between each adjacent layer pairs is in accordance to the formula: d_(N+1)=r d_(N), where d_(N) is the optical thickness of pair N, r is a numerical factor in the range of 0.85 to 0.999, where d₁=¼λ₀ , where λ₀ is the nominal wavelength substantially the same as the upper wavelength limit of the broadband of interest. Preferably for a broadband near infrared reflecting device, λ₀ is in the range of 1500 nm to 2500 nm. The multilayer structure so formed reflects a broadband of infrared radiation. Number of layers required in our example is not very large due to the large difference in refractive indices at liquid crystal transition temperature, as shown in the following example:

An alternating PET film and 6CB has shown the following parameters and properties:

PET film thickness: 0.1 μm-0.354 μm, uni-directionally stretched.

6CB layer thickness: 0.128 μm-0.416 μm

Transition temperature: 29° C.

Number of layer pairs N=115

λ₀=2400 nm

Transmisivity of visible lights (wavelength 400 nm to 700 nm) at T>29° C., 80%

Trasmisivity of near infrared spectrum: (700 nm-2500 nm) at T>29° C., 55%

Trasmisivity of visible lights at T<20° C., 93%

Trasmmisivity of near infrared radiation at T<20° C., 93%

In another preferred embodiment disclosed in FIG. 4, two optical films 400 and 401 of type disclosed in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are stacked together with there optical axes 411 and 412 substantially perpendicular to each other to form a composite film that reflect all polarizations of light in the desired spectral range of electromagnetic radiation at high temperatures while transmitting the same at low temperatures. The composite film transmits electromagnetic radiation outside the spectral range at all temperatures. In one preferred embodiment, the visible incoming light 420 is transmitted by the composite film at all temperatures. However, for the near infrared incoming light 425, the composite film reflects it to 426 at high temperatures when the liquid crystal layers are in isotropic phase and transmits it to 427 at low temperatures when the liquid crystal layers are in nematic liquid crystal or higher ordered phases.

One specific property related to liquid crystal is its ability to flow. In a preferred embodiment, polymerizable monomers are doped in liquid crystal layers 502. The doped monomers may be photo-polymerized to form a network 510 that forms a containing mesh for liquid crystal molecules 511, as shown in FIG. 5. Alternatively monomers may be polymerized by heating the liquid crystal monomer mixture to form the network 510. Such network 510 will form a three dimensional mesh that result in a mechanically stable liquid crystal film. In another preferred embodiment, the liquid crystal layers are comprised of polymer liquid crystals with polymer backbones to provide rigidity and mechanical stability to the liquid crystal layer. In yet another preferred embodiment, the polymerizable monomers form thin closed walls and the liquid crystals are contained within these walls wherein the mobility of the liquid crystals is limited.

Although liquid crystal molecules are disclosed in this invention as the temperature sensitive optical material, various types of other optical materials with refractive index sensitive to temperature can be incorporated into present invention, so long as the refractive index of the optical materials experience a significant, greater than 0.05 change when the temperature of the film is changed over a narrow range, particularly when the temperature change occurs near the room temperature.

The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims and claims hereafter introduced are interpreted to include all such variations, modifications, permutations, additions, and sub-combinations as are within their true spirit and scope.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions will now occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that methods and structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby. 

1. A multilayer dielectric optical structure, comprising: a transparent substrate; and a plurality of alternating first layers and second layers adjacent to the transparent substrate, wherein the first layers comprise a first optical material having a first and second optical axis and a first and second refractive index along the first and second optical axes, and wherein the second layers comprise a second optical material having a first and second refractive index along a first and second optical axis below a characteristic transition temperature (Tc) and a third refractive index along either the first or second optical axis above Tc, wherein the second optical material includes a liquid crystal material having an ordered-to-isotropic phase transition temperature between about 15 and 35 degrees Celsius, wherein the first optical axes of the first material and the second material are substantially parallel, the second optical axes of the first material and the second material are substantially parallel, and the first and second refractive indices of the first material are substantially equal to the first and second refractive indices of the second material, and wherein the third refractive index differs from the second refractive index and from the first refractive index, wherein the optical thickness of each of the first layers is equal to ¼ times a predetermined wavelength of light and the optical thickness of each of the second layers is equal to ¼ times the predetermined wavelength when the temperature is above Tc.
 2. The optical structure of claim 1, wherein the first optical material includes uniaxial birefringent optical plastic films.
 3. The optical structure of claim 1, wherein the second optical material contains rod-shaped or discotic liquid crystals.
 4. The optical structure of claim 1, wherein the first and/or second optical materials are formed by thermal or photochemical polymerization.
 5. The optical structure of claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate comprises: a support material; and an optical alignment material having an optical axis that is determined upon exposure to polarized light.
 6. The optical structure of claim 5, wherein the optical axis of a given layer is configured to be determined by irradiation of a previous layer with polarized light.
 7. The optical structure of claim 5, wherein the optical axis is determined by a previous layer not adjacent to the given layer.
 8. The optical structure of claim 1, wherein the number of first layers is between 1 and
 1000. 9. The optical structure of claim 1, wherein the first optical material comprises a semi-crystalline polymer.
 10. The optical structure of claim 1, wherein the first optical material comprises polyethylene terephthalate.
 11. An optical system, comprising: a transparent substrate; a plurality of dielectric pairs, wherein each pair comprises a first layer of a first optical material having a first refractive index and a second layer having a liquid crystal material having a second refractive index that is equal to the first refractive index when the temperature is below a transition temperature and different than the first refractive index when the temperature is above the transition temperature, wherein the optical thickness of the first layer (d₁) equals the optical thickness of the second layer which equals ¼ of a predetermined wavelength λ₀, wherein the number of dielectric pairs is between 1 and 500; and the optical thickness of each adjacent pair is in accordance with the formula: d ₁=¼λ₀ d _(N+1) =r d _(N) wherein d_(N) is the optical thickness of the Nth pair of layers, equal to the sum of the optical thicknesses of the two layers in the pair, and r is a number between 0.85 and 0.999.
 12. The optical system of claim 11, wherein the second layer includes a polymer mesh at less than 20 weight % for maintaining mechanical stability and for limiting the mobility of the liquid crystal material.
 13. The optical system of claim 11, wherein the second layer includes a discotic liquid crystal material.
 14. An optical structure, comprising: a transparent substrate; and a film stack having plurality of alternating first layers and second layers adjacent to the transparent substrate, the first layers having a first optical material and the second layers having a second optical material, the second optical material having an ordered-to-isotropic phase transition temperature (Tc) between about 15 and 35 degrees Celsius, wherein below Tc the first refractive indices between the first and second layers are matched, and wherein above Tc the first refractive indices between the first and second layers are mismatched, and wherein the optical thickness of each of the first layers is equal to ¼ times a predetermined wavelength of light and the optical thickness of each of the second layers is equal to ¼ times the predetermined wavelength when the temperature is above Tc.
 15. The optical structure of claim 14, wherein the first layers include first and second refractive indices along first and second optical axes in the plane of each of the first layers, and the second layers include first and second refractive indices along first and second optical axes in the plane of each of the first layers.
 16. The optical structure of claim 14, wherein the first and/or second layers are birefringent.
 17. The optical structure of claim 14, wherein the second layers include a polymer mesh at less than about 20 weight %.
 18. The optical structure of claim 14, wherein the second layer is formed of a liquid crystal material that is in a nematic liquid crystal phase below Tc and an isotropic phase above Tc.
 19. The optical structure of claim 14, wherein the second layer includes a polymer mesh formed from substantially the same material as the first optical material.
 20. The optical structure of claim 14, wherein the first layers are formed of a uniaxial birefringent optical plastic material.
 21. The optical structure of claim 14, wherein the first layers include a stretch induced optical anisotropic material.
 22. The optical structure of claim 14, wherein the first optical material is isotropic. 